A chara, - Congratulations to John Waters (Opinion, May 13th) for his clear portrayal of our current political system and its very limited relevance to the needs and hopes of our people. Several of your letter-writers have made the same point in different ways.
The pie lady of Boyle was right: this election campaign is a circus and most politicians are acting like clowns. Many of the media commentators have simply joined in the cheering/jeering which accompanies the performers as they race around the country in criminally speeding motorcades. When the election is over and we wake up to more (of the same) to do, and the inevitable abandonment of election promises, I believe that many people (even among those who voted) will still want an answer to the question: "What kind of society do we want?"
Do we want to continue developing an externally funded and controlled "economy" while our society fragments, services deterioriate, the quality of life diminishes and the sense of community and common purpose evaporates? As John Waters points out, it has long been clear that the existing political-legal-business system is incapable of devising imaginative, inspiring, movitating solutions to the many issues staring us in the face. Our "Jim-will-fix-it", clientelist political system, based on multi-seat constituencies with each TD absorbed in vote-hunting from one election to the next, simply feeds the greed and selfishness (both personal and parochial) that has accompanied our growing prosperity. The tribunals have demonstrated (at huge expense and, so far, without any results) that the system essentially favours the entrenched interests of big business, builders, bankers, barristers and those who gratefully accept brown envelopes.
Even in this election campaign, politicians are still complaining that people (especially young people) are becoming cynical and apathetic. How could it be otherwise? After five years of "stable government", they know that voting doesn't clear the litter, protect the environment, shorten hospital waiting-lists, convict tax evaders and perjurers, provide justice for the little people, sort out Garda corruption, house the homeless, tackle the appalling alcohol and drugs crisis, care for the elderly or teach all school leavers to read and write. Most of those who are alleged to be apathetic know quite clearly that the big decisions are made elsewhere and that most political positions and promises are just blather.
What our republic needs at this time is a national convention to define the real needs of our society and articulate a vision for the future. In a letter on this page last Tuesday, Noel Collins suggested a role for the former president, Mary Robinson. The "Robinson Forum" would have a mandate to consult the people in a serious way at local, regional, and national levels. In addition to the established "social partners", it would engage the churches, voluntary organisations, immigrant groups, dissident groups, the academic and arts communities and all interested, civic-minded people. It would seek to articulate a vision for our society as a whole and propose solutions to local and national issues which could command the support of the people and engage their energies.
I believe a large part of the solution would be the reform of local government (at present, almost totally ineffective) which would give people at ground level a real say and a creative involvement in the issues which affect their daily lives.
When this election is over and people begin to realise that the new government will either have to break its promises or break the country, I hope civic-minded people will begin to think of the future and how we can begin to re-shape it for ourselves. We now know, if we'd only admit it, that the political parties and the system they're embedded in can't do it for us. In an entirely new sense, it's back again to "sinn féin". - Is mise,
JERRY CROWLEY,
Belgrove Lawn,
Dublin 20.
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Sir, - When politicians want to flatter the voters they always say: "Ireland has the most sophisticated and intelligent electorate in the world." Perhaps I am less sophisticated and intelligent than they imagine because I have not decided how I will vote yet and because I have a few basic questions which I would like to have answered before I decide how to vote.
If we are such a sophisticated and intelligent electorate, why did one out of every three voters fail to vote in the last general election? Kitty Holland (May 9th) interviewed several people who will not vote in Neilstown, West Tallaght. One man, Gus Reilly, she described as "typical of most of his neighbours". Mr Reilly (54) has "voted only once in my life before - when I was young and idealistic. What's the point? They're only interested in lining their own pockets."
As tomorrow is polling day, there will be a moratorium on letters about this subject
Gus Reilly won't vote and I will vote on Friday, but we both agree about one thing: political corruption is an issue in this election. Are we both wrong about this? In this election, is political corruption "the vice that dare not speak its name"?
If, when you arrived at work, you were told that you could vote in a secret ballot to sack or reappoint your boss, would you vote? Or would you and one third of your fellow- workers say: "What's the point? All bosses are only interested in lining their own pockets".
I assume that more than two out of every three workers would vote in that kind of a ballot. On Friday all voters get a chance to sack or re-hire the political "bosses" or TDs who run this country. So why will only two out of every three voters cast his/her vote in the election? - Yours, etc.,
JOSEPH MARRON,
Rathmines,
Dublin 6.
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Sir, - In 1968, the late John Kelly said the following in the aftermath of Desmond O'Malley's election to the Dáil:
"Fianna Fáil, backed by unlimited party money and the whole resources of government, is able to offer a picture of material progress and prosperity, while Fine Gael does not seem able to produce the burning visionary and sacrificial ardour which alone could halt the Fianna Fáil machine."
Those words have the same relevance today as they did 34 years ago, except that the next Dáil will be the poorer for not having a statesman of the calibre of Desmond O'Malley or the late John Kelly among its members. - Yours etc.,
DESMOND GIBNEY PC,
Santry,
Dublin 9.
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Sir, - I read with great interest the letter from my old friend Malcolm Byrne criticising the Union of Students in Ireland for directing its members to vote for anyone but Fianna Fáil. As he pointed out, he was education officer of USI from 1996 to 1998.
However, he failed to point out that during his term in USI, he and other officers of USI attacked the Labour party for abolishing third-level fees. Many rank and file USI members found this very strange, as the abolition of fees had been a USI policy demand. He also failed to mention that he is an elected representative of the Fianna Fáil party in Co Wexford. - Yours, etc.,
SEAN BUTLER,
Chairperson,
Labour Party
Ballycallan Branch,
Ballycallan,
Co Kilkenny.
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Sir, - I am usually annoyed that my letter-box is repeatedly raped by election literature whenever I go away for the weekend. This unwelcome publicising of my absence serves as an invitation to local burglars to help themselves, though they probably know by now that there is nothing of value left to steal.
Last Sunday night, however, when I returned home to the damage caused by two gastrically challenged cats on a pale blue carpet, I found the ideal replacement for the missing cat-litter scoop in the promotional material delivered by diligent party workers while I was away.
Well now, if you thought that Michael Noonan looked silly with custard on his face. . . - Yours, etc.,
PAULINE CURTIN,
Stillorgan Park,
Blackrock,
Co Dublin.
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Sir, - It's time that Fianna Fáil adopted a name that properly reflected its beliefs and practices. I would like to suggest "The Irish Conservative Party".
Fianna Fáil already has much in common with the British Conservative Party. The British Conservative Party managed the decline of the NHS; the Irish Conservative Party has mismanaged the health service. The British Conservatives have the Murdoch press; the Irish Conservatives have the O'Reilly press. The British Tories are the party of Neil Hamilton, Jeffrey Archer and Jonathan Aitken; the Irish Tories have Liam Lawlor, Ray Burke and Charlie Haughey.
Moreover, both sets of Tories rely on corporate donations, put big business ahead of ordinary people, and share one principle - do anything to cling to power.
On May 17th, if you want the same old, sleazy, selfish politics, vote Irish Conservative. - Yours, etc.,
SEAN LYNCH,
Bachelors Walk,
Dublin 1.